Flying Without Wings
by windsoffortune
Summary: AU - Aoshi, the senior hunk, gives Misao a note inside a chocolate bar. But is it everything she thinks it is? [One Shot]


Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin.  
  
--lyrics--  
  
AN: My first RK fanfic. *grin* Enjoy.  
  
Flying Without Wings  
  
~ By Winds of Fortune  
  
The alarm clock rang, blaring loudly into her ear. She groaned, pulling the blankets up over her head with one hand while the other hand swiftly decapitated the clock, knocking it across the room. Unfortunately for her, the clock was a relentless one, refusing to stop its ringing tones at mere violence.  
  
"Ah god, make it shut up." She mumbled as she rolled herself off the bed, crumbling on the floor with her blankets still wrapped snuggly around her. Crawling toward the already half smashed clock, her fingers stretched out, trying in vain to find it.  
  
--Everybody's looking for that something  
  
One thing that makes it all complete--  
  
"Annoying, piece of --!!" She cursed, angrily dragging herself upright, forcing her eyes open as she rummaged through the mess of clothes for the half hidden clock. Her head swayed, eyes not really focusing on anything. She decided that clicking the stupid button was more effective than hitting it. She'd have to make a note of that in the future.  
  
Rubbing her eyes blearily, Makimachi Misao yawned, stretching out like a cat. "It's much much too early," she declared, before flopping over her blankets and catching a few more minutes of sleep on the floor of her bedroom.  
  
When she finally got up, half an hour had passed. She was really doing quite well that morning, considering how it normally takes her an hour before her dead weight can be lifted from the comforting blankets. Dressed and showered, but still half asleep, she pulled her backpack on to her back, checking her desk for anything she might be missing.  
  
Her eyes fell on a chocolate bar on her table. She vaguely remembered her sempai giving it to her when he caught her yawning during band. He'd said something about how candy helps when one is trying to stay awake. Grabbing the package, she trudged out of her door and down the stairs.  
  
She unwrapped it carelessly, and stuck a good sized chunk of the Hershey bar into her mouth, not really noticing how the wrapper hadn't really been wrapped on before. Her grandfather called out from the kitchen as she walked by. "You going to eat something or are you determined to stay scrawny and weak for the rest of your life?"  
  
She scowled at the old man, crushing the now empty candy wrapper in her hands. "I did eat something." Carefully spreading open the wrapper again, she held it up for him to see. "Look, I had chocolate." Her hands froze.  
  
--You'll find it in the strangest places  
  
Places you never knew it could be--  
  
She stared at the paper incredulously and read, "Sleep well tonight."  
  
"Are you listening to me? Misao?"  
  
Blinking slowly, Misao felt a grin spread across her face. "Sure, Jiya, I was listening." Her sempai remembered! She had told him that she'd been having nightmares, and he listened! That cold, emotionless man remembered!  
  
Jiya stroked his thin white beard with a hand as he watched the slightly dazed girl decked out in navy blue stagger out of the house. So she hadn't been listening. Oh well, he thought, she'd always been a strange girl. Who knows what's on her mind now?  
  
--Some find it in the face of their children  
  
Some find it in their lover's eyes--  
  
Misao grinned stupidly at herself as she practically skipped along the road, her long braid swaying behind her. She held the wrapper up to her unfortunately flat chest and sighed dreamily. She never thought he was listening when she blabbed on endlessly about her day. Her grin, if it was even physically possible anymore, grew. He cared! And she had proof!  
  
--Who can deny the joy it brings  
  
When you've found that special thing--  
  
Rounding a corner, she practically ran into her friend. "Kaoru!" She gushed excitedly, snatching onto the wrist of the bewildered girl. Her best friend Kamiya Kaoru always waited patiently at the corner of that street because the two walked to school together. "Kaoru, you'll never guess what my Aoshi did."  
  
--You're flying without wings--  
  
Kaoru, a beautiful bright eyed girl, blinked with obvious disinterest. "Let me guess, maybe he actually spoke a word for once."  
  
Misao pouted, "How can you say that? He talks! Sometimes. He just doesn't have anything to say to you because you're such a boring person!"  
  
"Oh, you're absolutely right," Kaoru grinned, yanking on her friend's single braid, "Aoshi is just so much more interesting than I am."  
  
--You'll find it in the deepest friendship  
  
The kind you cherish all your life--  
  
Waving her friend aside, Misao brandished the beat up piece of silver wrapper. "Look, isn't this so sweet? I told you my Aoshi really does care." She fought back the giggle that threatened to burst forth. It really wasn't her fault that every time she thought of the tall, dark, and handsome senior her mind turned to mush.  
  
Kaoru read the note carefully before turning a critical eye on her friend. "Don't you think his handwriting is a little.. girly?" Her eyebrows arched up, "And what the heck does 'sleep well' mean? What is he? Some kind of pervert?"  
  
"No!" Misao pulled her precious piece of paper back. Scowling she tried to explain, "You just don't understand him. This is him being nice. See? It's because I've been having nightmares. So he's worried. He cares. He's sweet. Oh, shut up and go away." Misao skipped ahead of her friend who had dissolved into a fit of laughter. She was determined to keep her good cheer. Aoshi DID care and it wasn't a stupid note! Kaoru was just jealous because her own red haired senior was too dense to do anything sweet like Aoshi's note.  
  
Not that he and Misao were going out or anything remotely close to that. She sighed. One could only hope.  
  
It was just that, Shinomori Aoshi was so perfect in every aspect. The man was truly without flaws. Tall, handsome, well chiseled, athletic, smart, popular, and did she mention handsome? The man was too cute. Every time Misao beheld his icy blue eyes, she wanted to melt. Preferably straight into Aoshi's arms.  
  
Kaoru grinned at her friend who was lost in thought, kicking her backpack to get her attention. "Hey, I was just kidding. You're right; Aoshi is definitely the sweetest, cutest, most caring guy alive. Second to Kenshin." Spotting said senior, she waved at Misao. "Speak of the red haired devil," said Kaoru as Kenshin tried in vain to reach the two junior girls through the crowd in front of their school, "Gotta run my dear Misao. Glad your boyfriend-to-be gave you a note. I'll see you later."  
  
Misao nodded numbly, watching her friend meet up with her boyfriend. Walking in a daze, she found her way to first period, plopped down on a seat and stared at her note. Stupid grin? Check. Aoshi's ultra sweet note? Check. Ticket to dream land? Check.  
  
--And when you know how much that means  
  
You've found that special thing  
  
You're flying without wings--  
  
It wasn't till after school when she finally found the person who took over her thoughts that day. Well, okay, and every other day too.  
  
"Aoshi!" She yelled, spotting the blue eyed hunk of a senior. Aoshi turned, nodding slightly at the short girl who suddenly latched onto his side.  
  
"Aoshi, I've had such a wonderful day. Thank you for the note. And I did sleep well last night, thank you so much for caring." She grinned up happily, giddiness exploding within her. "You can't understand how much that means to me."  
  
Aoshi's emotionless face stared down at the grinning girl. Seeing that as a 'you're welcome' look, Misao gushed on about her day. She yapped on about some guy in her math class who had the nerve to NOT pick up her pencil for her when she threw it at him when he talked too much. Halfway through explaining why the teacher didn't yell at her because the guy was being rude, Aoshi decided to say something.  
  
"What note?"  
  
Misao blinked, her mouth open as her words died in her throat. Then an uncertain bubble of laughter forced their way through. "What do you mean 'what note?' The note you gave me yesterday that was inside the chocolate."  
  
He didn't say anything, a confused look in his crystal eyes. Normally, he would have allowed the girl to talk forever about nothing, but if it was something that concerned him, he should probably set things straight.  
  
She fished in her pockets and brought out the worn piece of paper. She'd clutched it the entire day, but when lunch time rolled around, she realized that the paper couldn't handle all the wear and tear. She'd pocketed it, hoping to keep it safe so that she could frame it once she got home. Holding it up to the senior, her hand shook slightly as she asked in a wavering tone, "This note. Remember?"  
  
He took it from her, reading it quietly before handing it back to her. Then he said the words that broke her heart. "I didn't write that."  
  
She opened and closed her mouth a few time. "What? Then who did? You're the one who gave me the chocolate. Aoshi, don't lie to me. You wrote that note for me! You wrote it because I told you about the nightmares I had. You –" She broke off, and turned half away, scared that she might start crying.  
  
"A girl in my class gave me chocolate yesterday. I don't eat sweets."  
  
A silent tear slid down her cheek, the crumbled note was still held close to her heart, crushed there with trembling hands. "So you gave it to me." She'd thought .. she'd hoped he wasn't everything Kaoru always said he was. He tolerated her and no one else. She thought that meant something. She thought he – thought the note proved something.  
  
A soft sob escaped her lips, and the tears trickled out of her eyes more freely. She'd been so happy the whole day and for nothing. Aoshi proved that nothing mattered to him. He probably didn't even know she had nightmares. He probably never even listened to her as she talked about her day. He probably thinks she's a nuisance.  
  
--You've got to fight for every dream  
  
Cuz who's to know which one you let go  
  
Would have made you complete--  
  
Aoshi watched the girl cry, his eyes hooded. "Misao," he said.  
  
--It's little things that only I know  
  
Those are the things that make you mine--  
  
His hand reached out toward her, as she broke into a torrent of angry words. Words that lashed out at him, at herself, at her friends, at everyone. She was stupid one moment, and the next he was stupid. She was right one moment, and the next she was wrong. A small smile graced his face. He wasn't used to smiling, but standing there watching the girl with her many words, always talking without thinking, he just had to.  
  
--And it's like flying without wings  
  
Cuz you're my special thing--  
  
"Misao," He said again. And then he did the strangest thing he'd ever done in his entire life. His hands pulled her gently toward him, curling her into his arms as he hunched over the much shorter girl, giving her the first hug he'd ever bestowed.  
  
Her eyes widened, as she leaned into his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, echoing. She could hear her own, thumping loudly in unison with his. She didn't even dare to breathe, afraid to break the magic of the moment, afraid that all this would be a dream. She'd just received the biggest shocker in her life and she was loving it.  
  
--I'm flying without wings--  
  
"You had a nightmare about how one day you'd wake up and I moved away without telling you. You ran all over the city, trying to find me. You went to school and went to all my classes, asking all my friends if they knew where I went. You went to my house and pounded on my door, hoping that someone would help you open it. You cried."  
  
His voice rumbled inside his chest, close to her ear. Like rolling thunder, his soft baritone voice said the longest phrase he'd said in a while. Today was truly a day for breaking all his habits. Her heart squeezed, and the hand clutching the note so desperately let go. What did it matter, a simple note like that? Even if it was from him. Her hands held onto his shirt instead, and the tears broke out all over again. Who needed a stupid note on a stupid candy wrapper anyway?  
  
"Aoshi," she whimpered, her tears flowing full force as she bawled. He remembered what she'd said.  
  
Aoshi smiled down at her head, watching her quaking shoulders. "Don't cry," he commanded softly, "I'm not going anywhere."  
  
--You're the place my life begins  
  
And you'll be where it ends  
  
I'm flying without wings  
  
And that's the joy you bring--  
  
--I'm flying without wings--  
  
:End:  
  
AN: Simple and sweet. I'm afraid Aoshi is a little OOC. Well, okay, a lot. Haha, but I still like it. Thoughts? Comments? Feel free to clicky on the button and drop me a review. Forgot to mention that the song is titled "Flying Without Wings," sung by Westlife and BoA. 


End file.
